July 28th, 2004

email I got today @ 03:33 pm

Current Mood: cranky

Current Music: my boss's boss's goddamned cellphone ring

It has been brought to my attention that you have been walking barefoot
throughout the facility. No only is this a safety hazard but a health issue
as well. The City of Sunnyvale Health Inspector makes unannounced
appearances throughout our campus on a monthly basis. The inspection
areas consist of the cafe's and coffee break bars. If she were to notice
you without footwear in those areas, we would be cited and fined.

Given that and the safety and health of yourself as well as other [cutesy term for cow-orker]s,
please utilize footwear while here on campus.

Hell, I don't understand why they do it. I don't think I'm going to reach up with my toes and twiddle with the soda fountain. About the only justification I can think of is that they don't want people's bare feet to come in contact with where vermin have been.

I think, tons and tons of years ago, a bunch of health codes were passed about being barefoot in food places whose official reasoning was to prevent the spread of worms. Yes, worms. They can be in meat and if that meat somehow leaves them on the floor and you step on them they can worm their way into your skin and then into your blood and your're DOOMED. Yes, this makes no sense.

The real reason, I suspect, just has something to do with some people thinking other people's feet were icky and not wanting to see them whilst they ate. If this is to protect your coworkers, Andan's right. If this is to protect you from voluntarily exposing your feet to the dirt and germs of the floor, they're not your parents. But, maybe that's just me.

It could be worse, you could work in a facility that includes BL1 lab space. We cannot wear sandals or any open-toed shoe in the lab space, even if we're just passing through because it's a shortcut (or in the case of the loading dock, the only way to get there from inside the building).

My old boss kept a pair of shoes in his desk drawer so he could change into them if he had to go into the lab during the summer.